Combined yoke and terminal



Nov. 22, 1932. ER 1,888,882

COMBINED YOKE AND TERMINAL Filed Feb. 14) 1951 INVENTOR ARVID H. NERO kz's aZZarn 95 m4 MXDM Patented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARVID H. NERO, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE ARROW-HART &

I-IEGEMAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT COMBINED YOKE AND TERMINAL Application filed February 14, 1931.

This invention relates to electric snap switches, more particularly it relates to supporting yokes for the switch spindles of rotary snap switches.

Heretofore metallic yokes have been used to afford lateral support to the spindles of rotary snap switches and these yokes have performed that function alone. With the increasing complexity of electric Wiring circuits there has been a demand for more stationary switch contacts. In View of the fact that the additional contacts must have wire terminals for the lead wires of the circuit, it has been diiiicult to make room around the switch base for the additional contacts without either increasing the height or breadth of the switch.

It is an object of my invention to economize on the available space around the switch base by making a switch yoke which will function as a wire terminal as well as a spindle support.

Another object of my invention is to further economize on the available space around the switch base by providing a switch yoke with two wire terminals insulated from each other and the switch spindle.

In the drawing Fig. l is an elevation view of one form of switch yoke embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the yoke shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation View of a modified form of switch yoke embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the yoke shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation View of a further modification of my invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the yoke shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, the yoke 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is formed of a strip of sheet metal stamped into U-shape, the ends 11, 12 of the strip being out-turned so as to be parallel to the top of the insulating switch base B (shown dotted) when the yoke is inverted and set in position on the base. The yoke is centrally apertured as at 13 so as to permit the passage of the switch spindle 14.

Serial No. 515,873.

To insulate the spindle from the yoke 10 a washer 15, having an outside diameter equal to the diameter of the aperture in the yoke and an inside diameter equal to that of the switch spindle, is placed between the yoke and the spindle. be placed beneath the washer to more effectively insulate the yoke from the switch mechanism (not shown).

One of the vertical portions 10 of the yoke 10 has a screw threaded aperture bored therein, to receive a binding screw 17 Opposite'ly extending lateral fingers 18 are formed integrally with the yoke adjacent the binding screw 17 and are bent up in the same direction at right angles to the yoke to ahord means for preventing a lead wire from slipping from beneath the head of the binding screw 17 as a lead wire is secured to the yoke.

The yoke 10 may be secured to the switch base by screws passing up through the base from the bottom and taking into screw thread apertures 19 in the out-turned ends of the yoke. A switch contact 20 may be secured beneath one of these out-turned ends, preferably the end next to the binding screw.

In the modified form of switch yoke and wire terminal shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the yoke is formed in three parts, a yoke portion 24,

an insulating plate 25 and a wire terminal 26. The wire terminal is of conventional form and may be secured on top of a switch contact 20 in the same manner as in Fig. 1. The wire terminal 26 has two fingers 27 eX- tending from its top through the insulating plate 25, the ends of these fingers being spread to secure the insulating plate to the terminal. The insulating plate is secured at its other end to the yoke portion 24 by rivets 28. A central aperture 29 in the yoke portion makes it possible to slip the yoke over the spindle 14 into position upon the switch base.

The yoke shown in Figures 5 and 6 diifers from the yokes previously described in that although the yoke has three parts, these parts consist of two wire terminals 31, 32 and a yoke portion 23, which is made of a strip of insulating material centrally apertured as at 84 for the switch spindle. The yoke portion 23 has its opposite ends secured Another larger washer 16 may to the wire terminals 31, 32 by the same means as the wire terminal 26 of Figs. 3 and 4 is secured to the insulating plate 25 of that construction. The modification of Figs. 5 and 6 has the advantage of saving more space than the other constructions since the wire terminals 31, 82 may each be secured to a stationary switch contact, such as 20, 20.

From the foregoing it is obvious that my invention is not restricted to the constructions shown, since many other modifications embodying the principles and within the scope of my invention will occur to those skilled in the art.

I claim 1. In combination with a switch mechanism, a switch yoke apertured for the passage therethrough of: a switch spindle, a wire terminal formed at one end of said yoke, and an insulating member between the switch spindle and said terminal insulating the switch spindle from said terminal.

2. In combination with switch mechanism,

a switch yoke having an aperture therein for extension of a switch spindle therethrough, a wire terminal on an end of said yoke, and an insulating member cooperating with said yoke insulating said spindle from said wire terminal. v 3. A switch yoke having an insulating portion and a conducting portion, the central portion of said yoke being apertured to permit passage therethrough of a switch spindle, a wire terminal on an end of said yoke, said terminal being insulated from the switch spindle by said insulating portion.

4. A switch yoke comprising an insulating bar apertured for the reception of a switch spindle, metallic wire terminals secured to the ends of said bar and adapted to be secured to a switch base.

5. A combined switch yoke and wire terminal, comprising a yoke portion apertured for the reception of a switch spindle, an insulating plate secured to said yoke portion, and a wire terminal secured to said plate, said wire terminal and said yoke portion be ing adapted to be secured to a switch base, said wire terminal being insulated from the switch spindle by said insulating plate.

6. In combination with a switch mechanism a switch spindle, a switch yoke apertured for the reception of said switch spindle, a washer insulating the switch spindle from said yoke, and a wire terminal formed on an end of said yoke, said yoke being adapted to be secured to a switch base by its ends.

7. In combination with a switch mechanism having a spindle, a yoke apertured for passage of said spindle, a wire terminal formed as part of said yoke, and a member between said terminal and said spindle insulating the terminal from the spindle.

8. In combination with a switch mechanism having a spindle and a base, a yoke apertured ARVID H. NERO.

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